Mud baths and meter-high steam plumes
On the southern island of Kyushu lies the city of Beppu, a popular spa with a lot of thermal activity and numerous hot springs (onsen). The cityscape is dominated by meter-high plumes of steam, which seem to come from all the pores of the city. It's all about the thermal water: there are many spa resorts and public baths where you can choose from mud baths and sulphur baths. If you prefer a sand bath, you will be covered by a layer of steam-heated sand. Your skin will tingle pleasantly.
The thermal sources also provide energy. In winter, homes are heated with the hot water, the steam is used to generate energy, and some meals are cooked with thermal heat.
A guided tour of the Beppu Jigoku (the 8 Hells of Beppu) is a visual adventure. It's amazing to see hot mud and steaming water bubbling up from the ground. Colours range from bright aquamarine, milky grey, pink and green, to blood red. In the Bozu Jigoku, boiling hot grey mud bubbles to the surface. With the regularity of the clock, the geyser Tatsumaki comes to discharge, a spectacular sight!
Not far from the city is Mount Tsurumi. A cable car takes you to just below the top (1,375m). Several footpaths lead to viewpoints, and it is possible to climb to the top. In the summer it is wonderful to escape the heat of the city here, and in autumn the wooded flanks of the mountain turn bright red and orange. You look out over the cities of Beppu and Oita,the sea, and several mountain peaks in the hinterland. The panoramas are breathtaking!